


Rain, Rain, Come Again Any Day

by Kendra_Storm



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alone Together, Caught in the Rain, Fluff, M/M, Merlin Falls Asleep on Arthur, Pre-Slash, Soft Arthur, because i love it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:54:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21678625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kendra_Storm/pseuds/Kendra_Storm
Summary: Written for the prompt:Merlin falling asleep in Arthur's lap. Arthur holds Merlin close and doesn't move from their spot for hours.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 466





	Rain, Rain, Come Again Any Day

The trip had not gone quite as planned. Storms had raged, they had lost one of their horses, and they hadn’t been able to kill a single animal for food. As Merlin and Arthur sat in the shelter of a cave, watching the rain fall, it was clear that the constant exertion had taken its toll.

Merlin had just gotten the fire going, and they had both stripped of their outer layers in order to dry them. If Arthur’s head swam a little bit when he saw Merlin shirtless, well, he blamed it on his lack of sleep and food. The cave wall was cool against their backs, and Arthur found himself trying to look at anything but Merlin.

“Do we have any food left?” Merlin asked. Arthur turned and grabbed his bag, rifling through it to find the last apple he had packed. They hadn’t planned on being unable to hunt.

He tossed it at Merlin’s head, more than slightly impressed when he caught it. “Here.”

“Is that all? Shouldn’t we share?” Merlin’s eyebrows furrowed in concern, and Arthur felt his lips quirk up in amusement.

“Worry about yourself, Merlin. You’re practically skin and bones.” Merlin flushed, angling his body away, embarrassed. Arthur immediately felt a pang of guilt. He coughed. “On second thought, I will take a bite.”

“Oh, but I’ve already bitten—” Arthur ignored him and bit into exactly where Merlin just had. Juice dripped down his chin, and he swiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Merlin’s mouth was open, rather dumbly, Arthur supposed. He handed the apple back, a smirk on his face.

“Don’t tell me you’re worried about an indirect kiss?” He teased, but his own heart sped up a bit at the thought.

Merlin’s mouth snapped closed, and he shook his head furiously. “Of course not. That would be… inappropriate.”

Arthur scoffed, but said nothing else. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Merlin shivered. Arthur made sure to sigh heavily before saying, “Merlin, come closer. I don’t want you getting sick on me. You’re useless enough when you’re at your best.”

Merlin hesitated only a moment before scooting closer. Arthur contemplated putting an arm around his small frame but thought that that would be a bit much, so he settled for leaning his shoulder lightly against Merlin’s. 

“Better?” Arthur asked softly, glancing at Merlin.

The glow of the fire accentuated Merlin’s sharp cheekbones and revealed the dusting of a blush on his face. Arthur felt his heartbeat pick up again, and forced the butterflies in his stomach to settle. Merlin looked away from him, out towards the rain that still fell outside their little oasis. He nodded, and Arthur felt a surge of accomplishment.

Minutes turned into hours as they sat by the fire, the rain not letting up in the slightest. In fact, the rhythmic pounding of it was almost like a lullaby if the soft snores coming from Merlin were anything to go by. Arthur couldn’t help but smile fondly as he gazed at Merlin’s peaceful expression. 

He leaned forward slightly to check on the status of their clothes, finding them dry. As he sat back, pleased, Merlin shifted in his sleep. His body slumped forward, and Arthur’s arm snapped out instinctively to catch him. Surprisingly, or perhaps not at all, Merlin did not stir. Arthur shifted slightly, laying Merlin’s head down on his lap. It was a prince’s duty to make sure his servants were well looked after, of course.

Merlin continued to sleep soundly, and if Arthur took this private moment to card his fingers through Merlin’s hair to see if it was really as soft as it looked, well, who would tell?


End file.
